1. Field of the Invention
The pressure gauge and indicator device is to be used by trained medical personnel who normally work under emergency conditions where time is of the essence in determining the treatment required for a patient. A tension pneumothorax is a life-threatening condition requiring immediate treatment. Time does not normally permit X-raying of the patient. The medical person cannot always tell if greater than atmospheric air pressure is present in the pleural cavity. However, if there is a laceration or puncture wound of the lung region which allows air to enter and not to escape from the pleural cavity, the medical person needs to known such a condition immediately. The skilled medical person may be able to tell in certain cases by various known symptoms that a tension pneumothorax is present; however, the medical person wants to be completely sure of the aforementioned condition and to take positive steps to equilibrate the pressure to that of the atmosphere, if present in the pleural cavity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The literature discloses the use of a technique or method for relieving the tension pneumothorax in a patient by using a syringe without a plunger, partly filled with sterile saline and having a needle thereon. The needle of the syringe is inserted into the patient's pleural cavity and the air leaking from the tension pneumothorax cavity can be seen as bubbles passing through the sterile saline. In the situation of a patient on a ventilator with a tension pneumothorax on initial insertion of the needle there will be continuous bubbling, indicating that there is tension in the pneumothorax cavity. As the tension decreases, bubbling may only be noticed on inspiration. There is usually no bubbling during expiration.
A search of the prior art resulted in the following United States Patents: Shiner, No. 3,319,622 of May 16, 1967; Portnoy et al, No. 3,322,114 of May 30, 1967; Mattson, No. 3,433,216 of Mar. 18, 1969; Summers No. 3,625,199 of Dec. 7, 1971; Chen, No. 3,731,691 of May 8, 1973; Fortin et al, No. 3,785,367 of Jan. 15, 1974; Jacobs, No. 3,794,026 of Feb. 26, 1974; Binard et al, No. 3,858,572 of Jan. 7, 1975; Steier, No. 3,895,533, of July 22, 1975; Dye et al, No. 3,920,002, of Nov. 18, 1975; Ogle, No. 3,942,514, of Mar. 9, 1976; Wiest, No. 3,982,533, of Sept. 28, 1976; Lyon et al, No. 4,027,661; of June 7, 1977. However, none of the prior art devices illustrate the efficient and fast acting device of the present invention.